Will the miracle of Girona continue?
The surprise team of the Spanish La Liga wants to continue to mix up the upper third of the table. The Catalans from Girona welcome Celta Vigo and if the bookmakers’ predictions are anything to go by, the match will end in favor of the hosts. They are playing an excellent season so far. Opposite them, we see the Olivicos from Galicia, where not much wants to come together yet this season. At this point, we doubt that they’ll be able to turn the tide on matchday eleven.
Before the season, probably few had the Gironistas on paper when it came to the question of favorites for the Spanish championship title. Here the usual suspects are mentioned with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and with outside chances Atletico Madrid.
The fact that the red and white from Catalonia break into the phalanx of the “big ones” and at least in the first half of the season provide for proper unrest, is already a big surprise. The next three points should now come against the cellar child from the west coast. In the match Girona vs. Celta Vigo, betting on the hosts is rewarded with odds of 1.82.
The Galicians have their backs against the wall. The light blue must be prepared for a difficult season. For weeks, the visitors have been waiting for their second treble of the current season and the pressure on coach Rafael Benitez is increasing. Whether the liberation finally succeeds, we will find out on Friday from 21:00 clock, when the whistle sounds in the Estadio Municipal de Montilivi. Will the hosts consolidate their excellent position in the table with a win or will the visitors show signs of life?
Girona – statistics & current form
After last year’s promotion, Girona FC finished their first season in Spain’s top division in a secure mid-table tenth place. In the end, the red-and-whites were just four points behind an international starting spot. This season has been even better, with the Gironistas shaking up the top of the table.
After ten match days, the Catalans already have eight wins to their credit. With one additional draw, the hosts now have 25 points and are tied for second place in the table with league leaders Real Madrid. A feat that probably few people thought Girona FC would achieve before the season.
Girona impresses with strong goal output
The home side are thrilling their fans with their refreshing attacking soccer. The players have already scored 24 times. No other team in La Liga scored more often than the red and white. Their Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk is currently the best marksman in his team. He put the ball into the opponent’s box five times. When you have so much momentum on the offensive, you sometimes forget to prevent goals. And that’s why the team has already scored thirteen times in its own hut. This is only the ninth best value league-wide.
The red and white with impressive winning streak
The series of the Catalans is more than impressive. The only defeat it set against the royals. With a clear 3-0 Real Madrid triumphed at the eleven of head coach Michel.
But the Blanquivermelis knew how to deal with this low blow and got right back on the winning track. Eight of the last nine games were won. Most recently, there was a three-goal win against Almeria. Despite trailing 0:2 after 30 minutes, the Gironistas turned the game around by halftime and won clearly with 5:2 goals in the end.
Now, the Celtinas are the next basement team to visit the Estadio Municipal de Montilivi. With the outstanding form that the hosts have shown in recent weeks, it is not surprising that the bookmakers are optimistic about this match. In the match Girona vs Celta Vigo odds of 1.82 are called for betting on the Michel eleven.
In the home table, the red and white occupy a strong fourth place. The surprise team is looking to build on this record this weekend. Twelve of the possible fifteen points were taken in their own living room.
Predicted lineup of Girona:
Celta Vigo – Statistics & current form
If we look at the rankings of Real Club Celta de Vigo in recent years, we find only one single-digit ranking at the end of a season. Last season, a meager thirteenth place jumped out, with three points ahead of a relegation place. This year, the situation is even more dramatic.
Coach Rafael Benitez’s team has won just one of its first ten games. The Galicians also have three draws to their name. The total of six points means that they are currently only eighteenth in the standings and thus in the first relegation spot in La Liga. The lead over the last team from Almeria is three points and the gap to the saving shore is two points.
Relegation scare on 100th anniversary
This already puts the coach, who was hired at the beginning of the season, under enormous pressure. Under him, the way should lead upwards. In the 100th season since the club was founded, those responsible on the Galician coast wanted nothing to do with the relegation battle, but now the Light Blues are back on full alert.
There are plenty of areas of improvement that Benitez can address. The offense lacks scoring accuracy. The offense has only scored ten times. This is the fourth worst figure in the highest Spanish league. The Norwegian Jorgen Larsen is his team’s top scorer with three goals. The defensive record is even worse, with eighteen goals conceded, putting the team in third last place in this statistic. Only Almeria and Granada conceded more goals.
Celta Vigo waiting for second treble
The last results don’t give much reason for optimism. For six league games now, Celta Vigo has been waiting for a three-pointer. Points have only been shared against Deportivo Alaves (1-1) and Getafe (2-2) in that time. The only win came at bottom side UD Almeria. The final score was 3:2 for the visitors.
This success at least spices up the away record a little. With four points from four matches, the Olivicos are in midfield in the away table. But now it’s time for the difficult visit to Girona. Whether a victory will finally be recorded there again, must be rather doubted. In the duel between Girona and Celta Vigo odds of 4.20 are paid for bets on the Benitez eleven.
Predicted lineup of Celta Vigo:
Girona – Celta Vigo Direct comparison / H2H balance
The two teams have met six times so far in the top Spanish league. The overall record is absolutely even with two wins for each team. In addition, there are eight games in the second highest division and one cup game, so that seen over all competitions, the guests have the nose in front. The situation is different for the upcoming encounter. In the match Girona vs. Celta Vigo, the bookmakers’ forecasts see the home side in the advantage, with odds of 1.82 at the top.
Last season, the Celtinas took all the points from Catalonia. In the end, it was 1:0 for the Light Blues. In the home Estadio de Balaidos, the teams parted with a 1-1 draw. Not all first league games between the two rivals have been so low-scoring. Three of the six La Liga games saw more than 2.5 goals scored.
Girona – Celta Vigo tip
The starting position in this duel seems to be clear. Hosts swimming on a wave of success meet one of the cellar children of the league. Girona FC is the surprise team of the current season and has shaken up the top of the table. Eight wins from ten games speak for themselves. Coach Michel and his team are committed to playing attractive, attacking soccer. No other team in La Liga has scored as often as the Catalans.
Celta Vigo can only dream of such numbers. They have only managed one three-goal haul this season and have only managed two points in their last six matches. With an average of just one goal per game, there are few teams more unsuccessful than the Galicians. This looks like a tough season for the Light Blues, marked by a relegation battle.
From our point of view, there is a lot to be said for the home side in this duel and actually nothing for the guests from Galicia. A success of the Celtinas would be a big surprise. Therefore, we are a bit surprised that interesting odds are offered for a bet on the red and white team
We expect a high-scoring match. The Catalans ended five of the last six duels with more than 2.5 goals and for the guests this was the case in four of the last five encounters. That’s why we think it’s worth placing a small bet on a match with at least three goals in the match between Girona and Celta Vigo at odds of 1.75.
